As temperatures approach the 90s in some areas in the Northwest, many counties are implementing burn bans through the weekend to prevent accidental fires.
Multnomah County announced its temporary burn ban Thursday. Cities like Albany and Lebanon announced theirs earlier this week. There are also burn bans in effect throughout southwest Washington.
Fire season has not been officially declared, said Joy Krawczyk, public affairs manager for the Oregon Department of Forestry. That usually happens in early June.
“This round of burn bans is earlier than usual due to the kind of anomalous weather we’re experiencing," Krawczyk said. "It’s much more similar to what we would see in the summer as far as temperatures and just the overall dry conditions.”
The temporary burn bans vary on a county-to-county basis. Most prohibit burning yard debris and other agricultural burning.
Krawczyk said the majority of fires started so far this year were caused by people rather than by natural occurrences such as lightning strikes.